Contests, Entries, Featured, General Announcements
It hat to be you: Diana Cresswell is entry #19
Dec
Literati!
A frequent visitor to our site–and has been for years–is Diane Cresswell. After her entry, we have but one more to post, and should nothing show up by carrier pigeon before the 31rst, we will call it a done deal. So you still have time to win the trophy and the admiration of fellow writers and people of the assorted genders: https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/11/24/our-new-contest-high-heeled-sneakers/
Hats Off To You
Diane Cresswell
Fascinating, disturbing, horrible, chic, sporting and important are just a few words that describe a thing call hats. Hats are the bane of my life. I grew up in the “olden” days when women wore hats all the time. Back then I didn’t want to wear one and wouldn’t much to my Mother’s chagrin. Why? Because I thought they looked ridiculous and being a tomboy – no hat was going on my head!! Yes this was back before girls wore baseball caps. Those were for boys!!!!
I grew up pretty much finding excuses not to wear anything and I mean anything on my head even if it was raining. Except winter! Winter in Minnesota meant you HAD to have a hat on or freeze ears, head, eyebrows, etc off. Most of the time I wouldn’t wear one except when the temps hovered around -10 to -20 below or lower!
One day I was talked into going with girlfriends who wanted to go shopping, and being a curious person, shopping was always an adventure. One just never knew what one could find. However, this shopping experience was one of enlightenment for me. I finally discovered why I don’t like hats.
Dayton’s in Minneapolis was a high end department store and one could find a lot of delightful things meandering down the aisles. This is the store for those of you who remember the Mary Tyler Moore series where she stands outside of a department store (Dayton’s) throwing her hat up into the air. We girls burst through the revolving doors with fervor as we headed into the heady atmosphere of shopping. Laughing and giggling I knew we were driving the sales people nuts. Like crickets, we’d jump from one thing to another then onward to another department of oohing and ahhing.
We split up scattering in different directions. Suddenly I heard one of the girls, Donna, shriek. It burst like a huge bubble all around the store. We found her in the hat department. Oh crap! Donna grabbed us to try on hats. Standing frozen my worse fear was unwrapping in front of me. So I played rabbit and stayed there just watching each one try on hats. I smiled, nodded appreciation, or threw up my hands in horror if the hat was terrible.
Sneakily Jan had crept up behind me and placed a hat on my head! All my friends burst out in laughter. Then another one and another one landed on my head. Laughter got louder and longer. Thinking quickly, I decided to play along. I proceeded to strut, pull the hat down further over my eyes, posed, and yelled, “Bring me another”!!! Small head, every hat too big looked like a disaster on me.
I have tried many times to wear hats, with even my children laughing at me as I tried them on. Hats I like, but they don’t like me. I keep trying, I buy hats but nope! Laughter erupts. I’m thinking maybe a veil might work!!!
https://youtu.be/kg51wdtJcCg
I am not laughing at you, I am laughing with you.
Such a breeze of a story. Salt of the earth’s childhood. A pleasure to read.
Thanks, Diane. Happy New Year!
Thanks Mike – and a blessed Happy New Year to you my friend.
Adorable story D!! I must admit, I am a big time hat lover. Brings back memories of me and my girlfriends shopping at the big Nordstroms Department store in Seattle… No hat was left unturned! Now those were some hats!!!! Haha….
So glad you entered the contest… you are a jewel.
Thanks Miryam. I too like hats but for some reason, we are not a perfect fit. I still keep trying.
Oh my gosh Diane! I can So relate. Between hats and sunglasses…it is a challenge. I truly loved this. You are a pleasure to read.
Thanks Sheri. Hats are fun and it’s probably a good thing I can’t really wear them because I probably would have way too many!!!
Ha, ha, I DO have too many!